Gift Exchange
by Atelier Meta
Summary: Presea gives Genis a present and he doesn't know how to react! Based on the gift exchange skits between the two.
1. Chapter 1

….okay, I know I said I'd post this yesterday, but I had writer's block. So, here's the first chapter of Gift Exchange. This is my first multi-chaptered fic, spanning a grand total of three chapters. I'll be using the scripts from the skits but I had to change around the words slightly. That being said, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.

* * *

He really didn't know how he felt. Was it happiness or shock? Never in his young life had such an event ever happened to him. He didn't even know how to respond. His eyes were glued to the unique present that was given to him by a very special person. 

It had all started a few hours ago at the inn the group was staying in at Altamira. In the lounge, Lloyd and Colette were sitting close together on a couch, simply enjoying each other's company. Sheena had claimed the rocking chair and she had been recording the recent events in her journal, which doubled as a way of communicating with Corrine (strangely enough, it had been Zelos that had suggested it to her in the first place). The red-haired, laid-back Chosen of Tethe'alla himself had made his way towards the casinos. Both his sister and Regal had already retired to bed. As for himself, he had been playing with his kendama while Presea watched him from her chair.

He had noticed that she had been fiddling with something small in her hands, but he had been too concentrated with his game to identify the object. He announced he'd be going to sleep a few minutes later and everyone bid him good night as he left the room. A few corridors and turns later, he hadn't realized that Presea had followed him until she caught him at the elevator.

_"Genis." Presea said upon catching up to him, "Please…take this." And she promptly handed him a small, thin wooden box about the same size as his kendama._

_"What? What's this?" the young half-elf asked upon receiving the box. It was about the same weight as his kendama as well._

_"It's…my thanks, for saving me," she replied as she calmly watched him observe her gift._

_"Wow! I'm so happy!" he said with a grin on his face, determined to let his happiness overcome his usual shyness whenever Presea was around, "May I open it here?"_

_"Yes…it's yours." she answered, not at all embarrassed._

_"Wow, I wonder what's inside!" the mage said excitedly as he slid open the lid. Inside, with some cotton cushioning it, lay…_

_"A carved wooden bear…" Presea replied to his excited statement._

_It was indeed a wooden, light brown bear. The bear felt very smooth as Genis ran his fingers around its surface before picking it up and scrutinizing it closely._

_"Thanks, Presea. It'll make a great decoration!" he told her happily, feeling very proud of himself. Finally, he was able to carry on a normal conversation with Presea without any stutters or…_

_"It's a wealth charm," she said, abruptly, interrupting his private celebration._

_"…What?" Genis whispered in a quiet voice as his previous embarrassment suddenly enveloped him._

_"These charms…often give its owners good luck with money," she explained, sensing that Sylvarent may not have such items._

_"Ah, um, yeah, I love it!" he stammered, silently cursing himself for acting like a stuttering fool in front of her _again, _"R…really! Because it's a present from Presea…a present from Presea to me," he babbled, trying to keep the conversation going as to avoid any awkward silences (for him, anyways)._

_"I'm glad you like it, Genis" Presea said with a small hint of a smile on her face. She moved a bit closer to the half-elf, as if to hug him. His eyes widened at the thought and he choked as Presea simply reached over with one hand to pat him on the shoulder. Still stunned, he watched her turn around and head back towards the lounge, numb fingers still clutching the bear and the wooden box._

And so that was how the midnight moon found young Genis Sage, wide awake, sitting on his bed, still holding the wealth charm that Presea had given him and staring at it with blank eyes. The shock had worn off when he had tried to go to sleep but it was soon replaced by puzzlement. How should he respond to such an act like this?

His thoughts were interrupted by footsteps that came from the hallway outside his room. What was peculiar about these footsteps, however, was the fact that the sounds were accompanied by a constant jingling noise as well as casual whistling. Genis turned his head towards the door, perplexed on what kind of person would walk around at night making quite a racket. The whistling grew louder and the young half-elf recognized his voice and grimaced. _I guess Zelos is back from his "night life" stuff._

Ignoring the Chosen's whistling, Genis turned his attention back on the present Presea had given him and his predicament. His thoughts whirled around, presenting him realistic, yet utterly foolish solutions to deal with his little problem. Suddenly, a single thought made itself clear in his mind.

_Maybe I should ask Zelos for his help. He may be an arrogant idiot sometimes but he knows more about this stuff than I do._

His mind made up, Genis walked outside his bedroom and trotted towards the entrance of the room itself. He poked his head out the hallway and whispered loudly "Zelos!"

The magic swordsman in question was in the process of unlocking his room with one hand while carrying two textbook-sized leather bags with the other. He jumped suddenly and the bags made a jingling sound as he did. Genis raised an eyebrow at Zelos' reaction and snickered a bit while the flustered Chosen wildly looked around to find the source of the voice that called him.

"Hey brat, what're you doing up at this hour?" Zelos answered in a blatant voice upon locating Genis. The young mage winced at the Chosen's loud tone of voice and gestured him to come inside his room. Zelos complied and he walked in, his bags still making a jingling noise. The half-elf then whispered harshly, "Be quiet, you idiot Chosen! My sister's asleep in the other room!" He gestured towards another door a little ways away from his bedroom door. Zelos paled at the thought of Raine on a mad rampage and hastily nodded. The duo quietly made their way inside Genis' room and the young half-elf shut door just as quiet.

Genis seated himself on his bed and watched as the magic swordsman carelessly threw his bags towards the walls. A bit of Gald spilt out from the tops of the bags when they impacted surface. Genis raised an eyebrow at the sight of money filled to the brim inside the bags.

"Where'd you get all that?" he asked, perplexed again.

Zelos smirked as he took a seat on the desk that was opposite of Genis' bed. "At the casinos. Those rich, stuck-up snobs just didn't know when to quit against the almighty Chosen of Tethe'alla."

Genis rolled his eyes. _Look who's talking_, he thought. Aloud, he said, "Look, Zelos, I need your help so be serious for once in your life." he said, deciding not to beat around the bush.

Zelos sat up straighter and cupped his hand around his ear, "What? What was that? Did I hear that correctly? Is the brat actually asking me, the great Zelos, for advice?" he asked in a haughty tone, with a very large, satisfied grin on his face.

The young mage growled and raised his hand in warning but, unfortunately, it turned out to be the hand that still held Presea's gift. He quickly hid the charm behind his back but Zelos' quick eyes managed to get a glimpse of the object. The Chosen smirked at Genis' futile attempt to hide the wooden bear, "What's that you've got behind your back?" he asked.

Genis glared at him and was about to make a snappy retort when his mind suddenly reminded him of his purpose. He resisted the urge to burn the magic swordsman to a crisp and waved the wealth charm once in front of Zelos.

"Look, Zelos," he spoke, "I'm thinking what to give to Presea in return for her present," he waved around the charm again, "If it were you, what would you want?"

Zelos grinned another one of his carefree grins and answered enthusiastically, "A beautiful woman!"

Genis' jaw dropped open at his ludicrous answer, "…What?" he asked blankly.

Zelos stood up, crossed his arms, and leaned over as if to tell him a secret, "So, wait, are you going to introduce me to a beautiful woman?" he asked in a hushed tone.

The young mage shook himself out of his stupor and glared at him, "Why should I do that for you?" he scoffed. He should've known Zelos' answer would be something woman-related.

"Whoa, whoa, I'm just kidding around," Zelos said, holding his hands up, "Man, you guys have no sense of humor whatsoever," he continued, shaking his head, "If you want help, I'll give it to you."

"Forget it, I don't need you anymore," Genis declared, obviously not trusting Zelos' solutions, "You can show yourself out now."

Zelos blinked, then shrugged and walked over to his sacks of Gald, thinking, _that brat's never gonna think up a solution. Sooner or later, he'll come back to me. It's just a matter of time. _Aloud, he said, "You can keep those," and he indicated the discarded pieces of Gald on the floor that had dropped out of his bags, "You can use the Gald to get a present for your girlfriend." With a smirk on his face, he exited the room and returned to the hallway before the young, flustered mage could toss a fireball at him. Genis heard the Chosen opening his own room and listened as he shut the door rather loudly.

The young mage sighed and lay down on his bed, covering himself with blankets. It was true; he didn't really need Zelos to assist him with his predicament. _I'll ask Lloyd. He'd know what to do in this situation. After all, he's likes Colette just as much as I like Presea…I think._

His mind made, Genis closed his eyes and, after a few minutes, sleep came to him.

* * *

So, what'd you think? I'm not totally sure if Zelos was in character. He gave me all sorts of troubles. Anyways, please review. Till next chapter! 


	2. Chapter 2

I was bored today so I decided the finish off this chapter instead of completing it next week, like I said. This time, the chapter takes place right after the group completed the Shadow Temple. Nothing else much to say, so enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia characters, places, or events.

* * *

When the group stepped out of the dark depths of the Shadow Temple, the sunset abruptly caught them off guard. Genis squeezed his eyes and threw his left arm to shield them from the glare. He froze for a few seconds then, confidant that his eyes had gotten used to the luminous, orange light, slowly opened them but kept his arm over his face. Even without looking, he could tell that his companions were in similar positions.

"Man, we've been stuck in that stupid temple for too long!" Lloyd complained, "Stupid blobs, why'd they have to hide in such stupid places?"

"At least Sheena managed to form another pact. Now we're one step closer to our goal!" Colette piped up with her usual optimism, "Great job, Sheena!"

"Ah, well, forming pacts isn't _that _big of a deal," Sheena stammered, turning red, "As long as someone has had the proper training…"

"Nonsense!" Raine interrupted, "If it weren't for you, it'd be impossible to separate Sylvarant and Tethe'alla."

"And besides, " Zelos appeared at Sheena's side, pulled her closed to him and grinned, "When you're up there doing your pact thingy, you just look so-ow!" he moaned and rubbed the spot on his head where Sheena had whacked him.

"Finish that sentence and I'll hit you where it REALLY hurts!" she threatened, waving one of her cards around.

Zelos opened his mouth, either to make a snappy comeback or to test Sheena's threat and finish his old sentence, but Regal cut him off, "Zelos, perhaps it is best that you refrain from any comment lest you receive any…painful injuries." he commented in a calm tone, as if he were discussing cooking.

The Tethe'alla Chosen wisely decided to shut up and the group headed toward the Rheairds in silence. It was at this time that Genis made his move. Walking over to Lloyd, the young mage pulled him a little ways behind the group and said, "Can I talk to you privately Lloyd?"

The young idealist nodded energetically, "Sure, Genis! That's what best friends are for! What is it?"

Genis hesitated for a bit but a sidelong glance at Presea fueled his determination. He took a deep breath and said, "Lloyd, what do you think I should give Presea in return for her present?"

Lloyd pondered for a moment for snapping his fingers, "How about a handmade necklace or something?"

Genis blinked and sighed, "That'd be the same as what you gave Colette," he said in a flat tone. Shaking his head, he continued, "That wouldn't be interesting at all."

"Well, sor-_ry_ for not being 'interesting,'" Lloyd retorted.

Seeing his best friend's mood, the young half-elf hurriedly changed the topic slightly, "What would you want, Lloyd?" he asked.

The twin bladed swordsman brightened and he answered enthusiastically, "No question there. I'd want a year's worth of Sichuan tofu curry! And maybe a wooden sword set…"

Genis sighed as Lloyd continued to babble about his dream presents, "Should've known better than to ask you," he mumbled to himself. _I'll ask Colette about her opinion, then. Maybe she has a better answer-- _

"Hey, you two!" Sheena called out suddenly. Looking up, Genis found that he and Lloyd had put some distance between them and the others, "Hurry up, we're almost at the Rheairds!"

The young mage pulled the idealist by the arm and ran, "Come on, Lloyd! We gotta catch up!"

"I can run on my own!" Lloyd protested as he stumbled, trying to keep up with his younger companion.

* * *

The sun had almost set by the time the group had reached the Rheairds so Lloyd had elected to stay a night at Sybak before setting off for Sylvarant. When they reached the city, night had fallen. After taking a few minutes checking in at the hotel, Genis found himself in a rather large suite that Zelos had gotten for the group. His sister was using a nearby table to write down notes on her notebook. Sheena had decided to retire for the night, mainly because the forming of the pact had drained her, and Presea had followed her. Regal had gone towards the Lezareno Company headquarters to see how things were doing. As for himself, he was occupying the couch, with Colette sitting beside him, watching Zelos and Lloyd spar against each other with practice blades

Even though Lloyd had the advantage of wielding two swords, Zelos was much more experienced in combat. Time and time again, the red-haired Chosen pushed him back, swiftly exploiting any openings Lloyd had left in his defense. It wasn't long before Zelos had the idealist on the ground with the tip of his wooden sword pointed at his throat.

"Again?" he asked, not reveling in his victory like he usually would.

Lloyd nodded furiously, "Of course! As long as I keep practicing, I should be able to defeat Kratos!"

Zelos lifted his blade from Lloyd's throat and stepped back, with one eyebrow raised, "You know, Lloyd, it's not like you'll be alone when we face him in combat. You have all of us to support you. Don't turn this into a personal vendetta," he lectured, seriously.

"I know that!" Lloyd bit out as he got to his feet. Shifting into a combat stance that Kratos himself had taught him, he continued, "But it doesn't hurt to be prepared, right?"

Raine looked up from her notes and answered in response, "You're right, Lloyd, it doesn't. But you mustn't forget that we're fighting as a team. Losing yourself in a rage won't help you nor will it help others."

Genis watched as Zelos shifted into his own stance and attacked Lloyd with a sudden forward thrust. Lloyd dodged it and swiped with one sword at the Chosen's knees. He jumped over the attack and slashed vertically, but it was met by Lloyd's second blade. The twin bladed swordsman counterattacked with a barrage of slashes that forced Zelos to retreat.

The young mage observed the two swordsmen clash at each other over and over again. He glanced over to his left where Colette was watching them with a half-excited expression. Next, he looked over at his sister, who had returned to her notes. No one was paying attention to him, so he took a deep breath to gather up his courage. Turning to Colette, he called, "Hey, Colette?"

The Sylvarant Chosen turned to him with a smile, "What is it, Genis?"

Genis hesitated again before asking, "I'm thinking about what to give to Presea in return for her present. What would you like if it were you?"

Colette tapped her chin in thought, "Well…I think I'd have to say…" Genis leaned forward a bit to hear her answer, "…world peace."

Genis' eyes widened and his mouth dropped, "Ah…wow…talk about large-scale," he mumbled quietly.

Colette misinterpreted his reaction and smiled brightly, "I'm glad I could help, Genis," she said. She suddenly yawned and covered her mouth. Blushing a bit, she apologized, "Sorry, Genis, but I'm pretty tired. I think I'll turn in for tonight,"

Genis shook himself out of his shock and bid the angel goodnight. As she skipped off towards her room, he groaned and buried his head into his arms. What he planned to do was to give Presea a present _before _they'd separate the worlds. But seeing how he didn't have any idea of what to give her, the situation seemed hopeless.

And that's when Genis happened to glance at his sister who was _still _writing things down her notebook. The young mage stood up to ask her and suddenly stopped. His mind presented him a prediction of what might if he told his sister his problem.

_"Raine, I'm thinking about what to give to Presea in return for her present. If it were you, what would you like?"_

_"Hmm…if it was me? I'd like the Necronomicon, the ancient lost book. You've at least heard of it, I presume. Said to have sunk deep into the sea during the Ancient War…"_

_"Man…should've known better than to ask you…"_

Genis heavily sighed. So much for that. As far as he knew, there was no way he would be able to get a present for Presea in time. Announcing that he'd be going to bed to the others, he slowly trudged into his room. Shutting the door behind him, he flopped onto his bed on his back and moaned. This was a perfect chance to show Presea how he _really _felt about her and he blew it. He could pass school exams and tests with flying colors. He held extensive knowledge about magic and how to properly wield it. But he couldn't find a simple present suitable for her. Without a doubt, this was definitely going to be one of the biggest regrets of his life.

A few knocks at the door interrupted his moment of despair. Without moving, he turned his head sluggishly towards the door. The disheartened half-elf considered not answering it but when he heard Zelos' voice call out to him, "Hey, brat, open up! It's me, Zelos!" he lifted himself off the bed and opened the door.

Zelos swaggered in, clutching his practice blade in one sweaty hand. He wasn't breathing too hard, but Genis could tell he was exhausted nonetheless. He stumbled into a chair, almost knocking it down, and wiped his brow with his empty hand.

"Whew, that kid sure gave me a good workout!" he remarked, "He's really determined to take down that Kratos guy!"

"Of course he is," Genis said, "In our world regeneration journey, Kratos treated him as if he were his son. To stab him in the back just like that…"

The young mage trailed off and sat down on his bed, reminded of his original problem. Zelos noticed his discomfort and raised an eyebrow. He asked, "Did you decide on what to give to Presea?"

Genis buried his head into his hands again and groaned, "I can't decide…"

Zelos rubbed his forehead, sighed, and stood up, "Okay, looks like the great evangelist of love, Mr. Zelos, is going to have to teach you about presents," he mumbled to himself. The red-haired Chosen sat down beside the young half-elf and placed his elbows on his knees. After a few moments, he said, "The key point about presents is that they need to be something the recipient will be happy to get. You need to think carefully about what you could give Presea that would her happy."

Genis raised his head slightly but kept his gaze to the floor, "Make her happy….hmm…" he thought.

Zelos patted him on the back, "Well, anyway, think as hard as you can about it," he said, standing up. He walked over to the door, stretching and yawning, "I think I'll turn for tonight. If you need any help, you can ask me in the morning," he declared. With that, the magic swordsman exited the room and closed the door.

Genis kept his position for a while, still contemplating Zelos' advice. After a long moment, he suddenly stood up and an excited grin erupted on his face. His previous despair had transformed into elation. He felt like the happiest person in the world.

Because he had managed to think up the perfect present for Presea.

* * *

And another one bites the dust! The final chapter will come sometime late next week…. or tomorrow if I'm REALLY bored.

I'm also thinking of posting the game script I used in this fic in the final chapter, in the author's notes (kinda like an extra from a DVD, I guess). But if I did, would the chapter/fic be counted as a script fic? Please tell me your opinion when you review. Till next time!


	3. Chapter 3

Heeeeeeeeeeeere's the final chapter! This one takes place when the group is at the Linkite Tree and Lloyd's spending the day making the Linkite Flute required to call Aska. Enjoy!

* * *

The eight Rheairds dipped down steadily before slowing down and landing on the outskirts of the coastal city of Palmacosta, near a forest. The occupants of the Rheairds climbed out of their vehicles and deposited them in their wing packs before viewing Sylvarent's largest city. One of them carelessly folded his arms behind his head and remarked, "It doesn't look like anything special, though I have to admit it certainly is thriving."

Genis sighed. Trust Zelos to make such a comment after complaining about the lack of casinos. He opened her mouth to tell of the red-haired Chosen but Regal beat him to it, "This _is _a declining world so the quality of the land should not be so surprising," he lectured.

Lloyd smacked a fist into his open palm, "Don't worry, everyone. We'll stop this stupid cycle that Yggdrasill created and return the worlds to their former state," he said in a determined tone. He was about to continue his speech but, at that moment, his stomach growled. Everyone groaned as Lloyd looked down in embarrassment, "But first, I gotta eat!" Dramatically pointing towards Palmacosta, he bellowed, "Onwards!" With that, he ran towards, Colette giggling and chasing after him.

The rest of the group silently trailed behind them, eyebrows raised at the scene. After a while, Sheena spoke up to break the silence, "They've been quite attracted to each other lately."

Genis silently agreed. Since he'd met the two when he moved to Iselia, they'd become totally inseparable. Whether it'd be school, games, or even trips to the local store, he usually didn't see one without the other unless Lloyd had to walk home with Noishe.

"Normally I'd disprove of such a relationship, but seeing how they're so happy together…" Raine trailed off, adjusting her grip on her staff.

Regal displayed an amused grin as he spoke, "Young love is such a joyful experience nowadays. We should let them be and see how this drama plays out."

Just then, Zelos turned around to give Genis a knowing grin and mouthed, "Presea." The young half-elf blushed a brilliant red and averted his gaze from the Chosen and concentrated on the path he was walking on.

* * *

When the group checked in the inn at Palmacosta, there was still daylight so they had decided to split off and find some sort of leisure in the city. Of course, this was the perfect time for Genis to get Presea's present. When they had finished getting rooms, Genis practically ran to his room to drop off his stuff and tore through the halls, down the stairs, and through the entrance in his excitement to get to his intended shop.

And it was at that moment, when he reached the store, when his courage and excitement failed.

The young half-elf stood timidly at the entrance, doubts and negative results mingling in his mind. _What if she doesn't like it? What if she outright hates it? What then? Argh…look at me. I used to be the self-confidant genius back at Iselia. Come on, Genis, you can do this…_

Still a bit apprehensive, he reached for the door knob and grasped it. This time, the doubts came out in full force and Genis backed away from the entrance, sighing. He couldn't do it. His head bowed in disappointment, Genis trudged away from the shop. He hadn't took ten steps before a voice stopped him, "Giving up before you've even started? I guess you really ARE the brat I know and hate."

Genis immediately whipped his head to face the speaker, his face arranged in an angry expression, "Zelos, just shut up!" he shouted, attracting a few bystanders' attention.

The Chosen in question raised his hands in surrender, "Whoa, don't get so frustrated there," he said hastily, "I was just passing by and saw you dejected so, being the caring person that I am, I decided to help you if I could."

Genis shook his head, "You can't help me with this, Zelos," he stated before attempting to walk away again.

Zelos quickly grabbed his arm to prevent him from getting away, "C'mon, Genis, it can't be THAT hard to just go pick up a present at…" he looked at the store's sign above and looked down at Genis again, "at the…" he blinked and did a double-take,"…at a weapons store? Why would you go there?"

The young half-elf tried unsuccessfully to shake off the Chosen's grip, "Does it really matter? And besides, who said I was getting a present?" he retorted.

Zelos kept hanging on Genis' arm until he stopped struggling. The magic swordsman then knelt down so that he was eye-to-eye with him, "Look, bud," he started, "All you gotta do is waltz into that store, snag her present, and stash it away so you don't lose it. Don't think about anything else; concentrate on the gift ONLY."

The young-mage stared at Zelos' unusually serious expression before stumbling towards the entrance again. This time, he firmly visualized the present in his mind, blocking out any doubts. Reaching for the door knob, he did not hesitate as he opened the door. Genis strode through confidently, ignoring the stares from the customers that were a bit taken aback by his young appearence. He searched through the aisles for a particular section and, when he found it, a grin formed on his face. Through his relief, he did not notice a person walking up to him from behind until a hand lay on his shoulder. Genis jumped, letting out a surprised gasp, and whirled around. And immediately blanched when he saw who snuck up on him.

"Genis," Presea said, "Why are you here? This place does not have equipment befitting a mage of your caliber."

"Ah, um, Presea!" the young half-elf fumbled, "W…w…what're you d…doing here?" He immediately, mentally kicked himself for asking such a stupid question.

Presea was not at all put off by his nervous state, "I am merely observing the weaponry of this city," she answered simply.

"O…oh. I see," Genis stammered while trying to figure out how to get a present when the receiver was less than three meters away from him. Luck appeared to be shining down on him, however, for at that moment, Zelos' voice boomed, "Oh, _there_ you are, Presea."

Both axegirl and half-elf turned to find the red-haired Chosen striding towards them. While Presea blinked innocently, taking in the new arrival, Genis immediately suspected that Zelos was up to something. There was a twinkle of mischief in the Chosen's eyes as he walked up to Presea and slid a hand around her shoulder like an older brother would to a younger sister.

"I've been seeking high and low throughout this whole city just to look for you," he said in a casual tone, "There's something I need to speak with you about but let's not talk here; I don't wanna be responsible for planting certain images in young Genis' mind."

Genis angrily opened his mouth, but suddenly Zelos turned around and winked at him. The young half-elf stared, understanding appearing on his face. The Chosen then guided Presea towards the entrance, who was not at all minding his actions, leaving Genis alone in the store. Not wasting any time, the half-elf returned to the aisle that his present was in and began to search for it.

* * *

It was now dark outside. In the lounge, he had his present inside a small wooden box, similar to the one that had held his _own _gift, and ready to give to Presea, which was stored in a little backpack he was carrying. He was still feeling confident and proud of himself for getting a present. Presea was sitting with him on a couch and he could've given it to her at any time at all. There was just one problem.

There was no way he could do it with so many people watching.

Lloyd was occupying a rocking chair and Colette sat on his lap, dozing off. Sheena was updating her journal as usual, sitting on a nearby chair. Raine and Regal had retired for the night early and Zelos had not yet returned to the hotel.

Genis was rocking himself back and forth, feeling frustration build up. He was _so close _to showing just how much Presea meant to him. Why couldn't Presea and he be alone in some hallway or their room? If only his friends weren't nearby…

Beside him, Presea suddenly stood up and announced, "Excuse me, everyone, but I'll be going to bed now."

Genis blinked in amazement, relief flooding through him, while the others bid Presea good night as she exited the lounge. This was his chance! Standing up hastily, he declared, "I…I'll being going too," before speed-walking towards the exit. Just as he slipped his hand onto the door knob, Lloyd's voice stopped him, "Genis!"

The young half-elf turned around to see Lloyd giving him two-thumbs up and an encouraging grin, "You can do it!" he shouted.

Genis grinned back, feeling determination course through him. Pushing the door open, he ran across the hall, turned right, and found Presea with her back to him at the entrance. She was almost at the stairway leading to the rooms so he called out, "Presea!"

She turned around, innocence lining her features, "Yes, Genis?" she asked.

He ran towards her, feeling confident enough to give her the gift, but, as soon he opened his mouth, his courage instantly evaporated and his voice broke up again, "I…I…I…I…I…I…Th… this…p…pre…pre…pre," he stammered, his entire body shaking. He'd never felt _this _nervous before. Never in his entire life!

Presea tilted her head, confused, "What?" she asked quite normally, as opposed to Genis' nervousness.

The young mage's mind couldn't think up of a response so he answered with actions instead. Swinging his backpack in front of him and on the ground, he unzipped it, grabbed the gift, and, leaving his backpack where it was, brought it in front of him, "H…here!" he stuttered, turning red.

Presea took it, observing the gift questioningly, "This is…for me?" she asked again.

"Y…yeah," he nodded energetically.

He watched her open up the box, dread building up inside him. He was staring at her, almost like an accused staring at a judge for the final decision, when a small smile spread across her face. It may have been a minuscule smile but that one smile alone was enough to make his heart swell.

"…Thank you," she said, looking up at him while still smiling, "May I…go ahead and try it?"

"Sure!" he replied, confidence building up inside him. He'd never felt this proud of himself before. Never in his entire life!

"It's wonderful…I'll try it out on my axe right now," she said before closing the box and heading upstairs.

Genis stared after her feeling an aftershock, not noticing that the front desk person was smiling at the drama that had just played out. He was staring when the front door opened, a person walked through, and slung an arm over his shoulder.

"So what'd you give her?" Zelos Wilder asked.

"A sharpening stone…" he answered blankly.

Zelos blinked before shaking his head and sighing, "You're an idiot," he said.

* * *

In the bright daylight, eight travelers could be seen in front of the Tower of Mana. Each one of them had a determined expression, which could also be seen from their body language. Their leader, a brown-haired teenager wielding two swords, stepped forward to make a speech.

"This is it, everyone," Lloyd started, "After we make the final pact, Sylvarant and Tethe'alla will split apart and both worlds will stop competing for each others' mana."

Colette stepped up to stand beside Lloyd, "When this is over, there will be no need for Chosens to sacrifice themselves anymore. No more Chosens will have to go through the same angel transformation as I did," she stated.

Zelos carelessly swung his sword around a few times before resting it on his shoulder, "Okay, enough with the speeches. Let's do this!" he yelled before charging through the Tower's front door.

The others followed him, except for Lloyd who stood around bewildered, "Hey, but I'M the one that's supposed to heroically lead you towards-"he was suddenly grabbed on the arm by Raine, who then dragged the protesting swordsman along with her.

Genis sprinted alongside Presea, feeling the familiar determination as he ran. Feeling something snag onto his left hand, he looked down to find Presea holding _his _hand with hers.

Presea glanced up with a reassuring look in her eyes, "I'm with you, Genis. We're…in this together," she said.

This time, Genis didn't blush or stammer. He merely tightened his grip on Presea's hand and then turned his attention back to his objective, feeling a happiness that was totally foreign to him.

_I won't let anyone hurt Presea…as long as I'm around_.

* * *

Whew….and that's the end. I hope everyone enjoyed because I sure did! Now I'm gonna start my AU fic. Stay tuned!

Oh yeah, and, below, I've also included the skits that I've used during the course of this fic. I also put in the skit number so, for those of you that have beaten the game, you can look up the skits in the Katz village.

**Skit 241**

Presea: ...Genis. Please...take this.

Genis: ...What? What's this?

Presea: It's...my thanks, for saving me.

Genis: Wow! I'm so happy! May I open it?

Presea: Yes...it's yours.

Genis: Wow, I wonder what's inside!

Presea: A carved wooden bear...

Genis: ...What?

Presea: A wealth charm.

Genis: Ah, um, yeah, I love it! R...really! Because it's a present from

Presea...a present from Presea for me.

**Skit 031**

Genis: Say, Zelos, I'm thinking about what to give to Presea in return for

her present. If it were you, what would you want?

Zelos: A beautiful woman!

Genis: ...Huh?

Zelos: So, wait, are you going to introduce me to a beautiful woman?

Genis: Why should I do that for you!

**Skit 136**

Genis: Say, Lloyd. What do you think I should give Presea in return for

her present?

Lloyd: How about a handmade necklace or something?

Genis: That'd be the same as what you gave Colette. That wouldn't be

interesting at all.

Lloyd: Well sorry for not being "interesting."

Genis: What would you want, Lloyd?

Lloyd: No question there. I'd want a year's worth of Sichuan tofu curry.

And maybe a wooden sword set...

Genis: Sigh ...Should have known better than to ask you.

**Skit 252**

Genis: Say, Colette. I'm thinking about what to give Presea in return for

her present. What would you like if it was you?

Colette: Well... I think I'd have to say, world peace.

Genis: Ah...wow...talk about large-scale...

**Skit 319**

Zelos: So, did you decide on what to give Presea?

Genis: I can't decide...

Zelos: Sigh Okay, looks like the great evangelist of love, Mr. Zelos, is

going to have to teach you about presents. Listen. The key point

about presents is they need to be something the recipient will be

happy to get. You need to think carefully about what you could give

Presea that would make her happy.

Genis: Make her happy...hmm...

Zelos: Well, anyway, think as hard as you can about it.

**Skit 226**

Genis: P...Presea.

Presea: What is it?

Genis: I...I...I...I...I...I...Th...this...p...pre...pre...pre...

Presea: What?

Genis: H...here!

Presea: This is...for me?

Genis: Y...yeah.

Presea: ...Thank you! May I...go ahead and try it?

Genis: Sure!

Presea: It's wonderful... I'll try it out on my ax right now.

Presea exits.

Zelos: ...What did you give her?

Genis: A sharpening stone.

Zelos: ...You're an idiot.


End file.
